1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for assisting physically disabled persons to and from a position for using a toilet.
2. The Related Art
Conventional toilet seats are characteristically low to the ground, making it very difficult for physically disabled or illness-weakened persons to use the toilet without the assistance of a nurse or other individual. Elevated toilet seats partially solve the problem by reducing the period of time that a person's arm and leg muscles are stressed when moving between a standing position and a sitting position above a toilet bowl. Thus, the person's center of gravity is shifted very little under his or her own strength and the likelihood of becoming unbalanced or requiring assistance is greatly diminished.
Two examples of such elevated toilet seats are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,060,458 and 4,168,552. The '458 patent discloses a toilet seat whose elevation is adjusted by a pair of hydraulic cylinders for use by small children as well as adults. A pair of switches are mounted to a baseplate about the base of a toilet for lifting and lowering the toilet seat. The floor location of these switches makes the apparatus of the '458 patent unsuitable for physically disabled or weakened persons because they would have to bend down to the floor to operate the apparatus. In other words, users capable of reaching the switches of this device will probably not need assistance in moving between a standing position and a seated position on a toilet seat over a toilet bowl. Furthermore, this device requires a sump for the storage of hydraulic fluid when the seat is moved to a lowered position. Still further, the limited baseplate design of this apparatus requires that the baseplate be permanently bolted to the floor to ensure that the device doesn't topple over when used. Thus, the apparatus of the '458 patent is not very portable, and cannot easily be moved between different toilets in a house or a care facility.
The '552 patent describes an adjustable toilet seat that is elevated by screw jacks driven by an electric motor through a drive belt and pulley system. The drive system takes up considerable floor space about the base of the toilet, and is not easily assembled or transported to another toilet. The screws of the jacks extend upwardly through a jack housing and create a crush and/or pinch zone between the jack housing and the toilet seat. Thus, the user's hands and fingers are exposed to injury by the operation of this device. Furthermore, electrical wiring is run to a switch assembly on the '552 device adjacent this crush zone, and is also exposed to entanglement or crimping during operation.
In response to the above-described problems in the art, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for assisting a physically disabled person to and from a seated position immediately above a toilet bowl that requires a minimum of floor space, and can be easily moved from one toilet to another.
It is a further object to provide an apparatus that need not be permanently mounted to the floor for safe operation.
It is a further object to provide such an apparatus that provides an easily accessible control panel having control wiring routed through a passageway in the toilet seat to avoid entanglement with the moving component of the apparatus.
It is a still further object to provide such an apparatus that does not expose the user's hands to injury during operation.
It is a further object to provide an apparatus that is easy to operate and that accommodates individuals of virtually any size.
It is a further object to provide a fail safe apparatus that will lower the person seated on the toilet seat at a controlled rate, even if a system failure occurs.